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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. race — a contest
  4. last — to go on
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cap — of ice
  7. swing — music
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. race — the arms race
  11. last — finally
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — in golf
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cap — a lid
  20. last — final
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. race — humankind

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com